Connection and support structure for wall mounted sanitary devices such as toilets etc.

ABSTRACT

A connection and support structure for sanitary devices ( 1 ), such as toilet bowls (toilets  2 ), bidets, urinals and sinks of the kind mounted to a support or a wall in a restroom or the like. The external surface of the sanitary device ( 2 ) is smooth and has a basically continuous convex curvature without any flanges, holes or outer protrusions or connecting means. A gasket or sealing ring ( 14 ) is provided around the edge of the sanitary device ( 2 ) facing towards the support or wall onto which the device is mounted, whereby the connecting means ( 4, 7 ) including the bolts etc. ( 21,22 ) are provided within the inner space of the device ( 1 ) such that said connecting means ( 4,7 ) and bolts etc. ( 21,22 ) are sealed off from the surroundings and no moisture can enter into the inner space of the sanitary device when the sanitary device is mounted to the wall.

The present invention relates to a connection and support structure forsanitary devices, such as toilet bowls (water closets), bidets, urinalsand sinks, the kind mounted to a wall in a restroom or the like.

Ordinary gravitation sewage systems for black and grey water where thetoilet is emptied on the basis of flushing with relatively large amountsof water or where the water flows freely from urinals, sinks or bidetsetc. with the gravitational force as the driving “power”, is the mostcommon used and known sewage system even though such systems requireextensive use of water.

Vacuum sewage systems are also quite known and are dominating inconnection with the use onboard ships, aero planes and trains. However,on land such systems are also increasingly used and the background forsuch increased use is primarily the reduced use of water and easyhandling and treatment of waste water, as well as the flexible system asregards installation of the pipes given by such system.

The present invention relates to sanitary devices for both gravitationalas well as vacuum sewage systems.

As of today there are different types of sanitary devices, the oneswhich are standing on the floor and others which, as stated above, areattached to and hanging on a wall of a restroom or the like. The presentinvention relates to the wall mounted type of sanitary equipment.

At present, several systems are known in order to install, hanging onthe wall, the above type of sanitary devices, which generally impliesthe presence of a support structure which is installed inside the walland to which the sanitary devices are fastened.

The known support structures from the prior art are mostly composed of alarge number of components, and this is a first drawback because itobliges the installer to assemble, from time to time, the severalelements, with an evident time waste and inconvenience.

Secondly, with the known solutions of the prior art, the installer isobliged to install feed and discharge piping inside the frameconstruction of the support provided in the wall without any precisereferences and this may, for some complicated structural solutions withlittle space, cause considerable difficulties and further time loss withthe consequent increase in installation costs.

Thirdly, the known methods and means to fasten the sanitary device to awall is done by using bolts or screws in through going holes in theporcelain and open holes in the wall to access the support. Thesesolutions represent a problem with regard to moisture, cleanliness andsanitation.

From NL patent application No. 1005768, EP patent application No. 0 558127, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,101,766 and 6,643,851 are known different wallmounted toilets with support solutions where all of the solutions haveconnecting means in the form of nuts bolts or the like with throughgoing holes in the porcelain or sanitary device which are encumberedwith the above disadvantages.

With the present invention is provided a connection and supportstructure for connecting a sanitary device to a wall where the abovedisadvantages are overcome. The external surface of the sanitary deviceis smooth and has convex curvature where the connecting means arecovered by the device as such. Thus there are no protruding connectingmeans such as bolts or screws that makes the sanitary device difficultto clean or that can hide harmful or smelly micro organisms. Further,the sanitary device is sealed against the wall such that water cannotenter into the wall even if the sanitary device is washed and rinsed bymeans of free flowing or pressurized water from a hose or shower.

The invention is characterized by the features as defined in theattached independent claim 1.

Advantageous features of the invention are further defined in theattached dependent claims 2-5.

The invention will be further described in the following by way ofexamples and with reference to the drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a sanitary device according to the invention in the form ofa wall mounted toilet, seen in perspective, one view a) partly fromahead, and another view b) partly from behind,

FIG. 2 shows in perspective the same toilet as in FIG. 1, but in anexpanded view where the support, the toilet and toilet ring and lid aretaken apart,

FIG. 3 shows a further expanded view of the toilet shown in the previousfigures, but which also includes a discharge valve and fastening meansto the wall structure,

FIG. 4 shows still the same toilet in cross section mounted to the wall.

FIG. 1 show as stated above a sanitary device 1 according to theinvention in the form of a wall mounted toilet 2, 3, 4, seen inperspective, one view a) partly from ahead, and another view b) partlyfrom behind.

The sanitary device includes, as is further shown in FIGS. 2-4, apartfrom the toilet 2 a lid 3 with seat (ring) 16 and connecting means inthe form of a support device 4 for fastening the sanitary device 1 tothe wall.

The external surface of the toilet 2 is smooth and has a basicallycontinuous convex curvature without any flanges, holes or outerprotrusions or connecting means. (The internal surface of the toiletbowl as such is of course concave).

The support device 4 is based on an outwardly protruding flange guide 7with a hole 6 in the centre for sewage piping etc. (not shown) to thetoilet. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the support device 4 may be attachedto a wall in different ways, for instance by means of bolts 22 nuts 21through holes 20 in the support 4. The bolts 22 may in turn be fastenedto load carrying posts 5 or wall elements 9 (not further shown).

For completeness sake, the sanitary device shown in the figures is atoilet for a vacuum sewage system including a sewage discharge valve 24(see FIG. 3).

The outwardly protruding flange guide 7 of the support device 4 may bebasically round or oval and is designed to fit within the back endopening 8 and inner space of the toilet 2. The purpose of the flangeguide 7 is to make the mounting of the toilet somewhat easier. The guide7 is at its upper side provided with upwardly extending protrusions 10which are designed to interact with a corresponding downwardly extendingedge or protrusion 11 provided on the inside of the porcelain of thetoilet 2. Thus, when the toilet is attached to the wall, the toilet 2 isjust moved with its end opening 8 towards the pre-mounted guide 7 of thesupport 4 until the toilet meets the wall,, the toilet is then loweredand the edge on the inside of the toilet will hook onto and rest on theprotrusions 10 on the support 4. The toilet is then secured in thisposition by means of a locking arrangement 13 on the underside of thetoilet 2 (not further shown). A gasket or sealing ring 14 (see FIG. 4)is provided around the edge of the toilet facing towards the supportdevice (wall) whereby the inner space of toilet 2 and wall, includingthe guide means 7 and bolts etc. is sealed off from the surroundings andno moisture can enter into the wall or inner space of the toilet.

The sanitary device 1 is, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 provided with aconnecting means 15, 17 for connection of the lid 3 and toilet seat 16to the wall. The connecting means may be a bayonet connection with amale member 15 fastened to the wall by means of bolts 19 and femaleconnecting member 17 or a hook type connecting means with a hinge 18between the lid/ring 3, 16 and connecting means 15, 17. A sealingelement (not shown) may preferably as well be provided between the male15 and female 17 parts of the connection to avoid moisture entering intothe connection.

The invention as defined in the claims is not restricted to the examplesas shown in the figures and as described above. Thus, the invention maybe used for connecting any sanitary device to a wall such as a bidet,urinal or a sink. Further, the support device may, instead of beingoval, have a shape corresponding to the shape of the side of thesanitary device facing the wall where the sanitary device fully coversthe plate.

1. A connection and support structure for sanitary devices, such astoilet bowls (toilets), bidets, urinals and sinks of the kind mounted toa support or a wall in a restroom or the like, characterised in that theexternal surface of the sanitary device is smooth and has a basicallycontinuous convex curvature without any flanges, holes or outerprotrusions or connecting means, a gasket or sealing ring is providedaround the edge of the sanitary device facing towards the support orwall, whereby the connecting means including the bolts etc. are providedwithin the inner space of the device (1) such that said connecting meansand bolts etc. are sealed off from the surroundings and no moisture canenter into the inner space of the sanitary device when the sanitarydevice is mounted to the wall.
 2. Connecting and support structureaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting means isbased on a support device with guide means having a hole in the centrefor drainage or water supply piping and valves etc. for access to theinner space of the sanitary device and where the support device may beattached to the wall by connecting means such as bolts screwed into wallbearing posts or load carrying elements in the wall.
 3. Connecting andsupport structure according to claim 1 characterised in that the supportdevice is basically round or oval corresponding to the opening of andfitting within the inner space of the sanitary device.
 4. Connecting andsupport structure according to claim 1, characterised in that theconnection between the sanitary device and support device is providedwith an upwardly extending protrusion or protrusions which is/aredesigned to interact with a corresponding downwardly extending edge orprotrusion provided on the inside of the porcelain of the toilet,whereby the toilet is attached to the wall by means of the edge on theinside of the toilet hooking onto and resting on the protrusions on thesupport device and whereby the toilet is secured in such position bymeans of a lock arrangement on the underside of the toilet. 5.Connecting and support structure according to claim 1, characterised inthat the sanitary device is provided with an additional connecting meansfor a lid and toilet seat to be connected to a wall and that theconnecting means is a bayonet joint with a male and female connectingmembers or a hook type connecting means with a hinge between thelid/seat and connecting means.
 6. Connecting and support structureaccording to claim 2 characterised in that the support device isbasically round or oval corresponding to the opening of and fittingwithin the inner space of the sanitary device.